Balranald

Address

RSPB Balranald, Hougharry, Isle of North Uist HS6 5DL

Grid ref

NF706707

Explore a wildlife-rich grassland haven on the beautiful Scottish island of North Uist. This stunning Hebridean nature reserve has sweeping sandy beaches, a rocky foreshore, wild marshes and sculpted sand dunes. It's the perfect place to learn about traditional crofting agriculture, corncrakes and other wildlife.

Facilities

Accessibility

How to get here

By bus

Bus service runs across the Outer Hebrides. Contact Grenitote Travel on 01876 560 244 on the morning of desired travel to ensure the bus will stop at Balranald.

By road

On North Uist, follow the A865 north from Clachan towards Sollas. Take a left turn for Hogha Gearraigh township and another left turn for the signposted visitor centre prior to reaching Hogha Gearraigh.

Nature spectacles

In spring, there is nowhere else like Balranald. Sitting outside the visitor centre offers a wonderful viewpoint of many of our rare species. As you sit, a corncrake may start to call from a spot not 5m away. Corn buntings may arrive on the fence, singing to heart's content. A flock of black-tailed godwits may rise from the wetland, and lapwings may fly up and call their 'peewit' alarm in response to the arrival of a peregrine.

Wander down to the beach and see hoards of migrating waders. Some, such as the ringed plover, will stay and breed among the stones at the edge of the beach, but soon the sanderlings and turnstones will be off to their arctic breeding grounds. By that time the terns will have arrived and the trail around Balranald will be noisy with their squabbling calls.

Watch as a great skua determinedly circles, and see how the terns unite against the predator. Turn towards the sea and enjoy a pod of porpoises which leap out of the water. Then, just to cap off your day, be stunned as a white-tailed eagle effortlessly soars over your head, before disappearing off in search of a meal.

Seasonal highlights

Thousands of migrating birds. Skuas and divers out at sea. Huge flocks of turnstones, purple sandpipers, dunlins and sanderlings along the shoreline. Greenland barnacle geese, dotterels, ringed plovers, skylarks and oystercatchers on the machair.

Listen for the corn buntings' song, which sounds like jangling keys. Arctic and little terns fish along the tide edge. Redshanks and lapwing chicks in the marshy grasslands. Orchids, poppies and silverweed on the machair.

Tiny pink cowrie shells and spiral tower shells on the beach. Otters in the freshwater lochs and along the rocky shore. Large flocks of lapwings and golden plovers over the wetlands. Hen harriers and peregrines circle overhead.

Flocks of starlings feeding on the fields and high-tide line. Merlins attracted by mixed flocks of skylarks, twites and snow buntings. The occasional golden eagle in search of a careless rabbit. The white-tailed eagle is a regular visitor.

About Balranald

Habitat

Conservation

Balranald is a key site in the UK corncrake recovery programme. To this end, we are encouraging crofters to grow late-cut hay crops and provide early cover on suitable breeding areas. We will continue to monitor the impact of farming on these birds. Other important breeding birds include waders such as red-necked phalarope, oystercatcher, ringed plover, dunlin, redshank, lapwing and snipe. There are also farmland birds such as reed bunting, corn bunting, twite, skylark and song thrush. We are managing the reserve for the benefit of all these species, and will monitor their populations and adjust our policies accordingly.

Our wetland habitats are home to many wintering ducks and geese, with important flora assemblage including pillwort, slender naiad and Shetland pondweed. Fluctuating water levels mean the surrounding areas maintain interest for wading birds.

Site information

This nature reserve is important for wildlife. RSPB Scotland welcomes responsible access, in line with the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.

Activities and events

Activities for children and families

Within the visitor centre, there are a number of interactive games and information which are available for children to learn about the wildlife on the reserve.

Leisure activities

On the reserve there is a waymarked trail which takes the visitor around 4.5km of coastline, covering different habitats such as machair, dune grassland, sandy beaches and rocky shores. These habitats are home to a range of different species all through the year. The trail takes about 1-2 hours to walk around.